Loah McCoy's boss gave her an impossible task at work Monday morning: Go to Sullivan Arena and pick up some Elton John tickets.

Like so many others, McCoy came up empty, despite a display of multitasking that deserves recognition in her next job review. She stood in line for more than an hour, calling Ticketmaster on her cell phone all the while. She was about 50 people away from the box office when an arena employee came outside to tell the crowd that Elton's May 28, 2008 concert was sold out.

Tickets to see the Rocket Man went about as fast as an actual rocket. It took just 58 minutes for fans -- and would-be profiteers who later posted their tickets for sale online, generally at prices higher than face value -- to snatch up about 7,000 tickets.

About four hours after the sellout was announced, a second concert was scheduled for May 30, 2008. Tickets for that show go on sale on May 12, 2008, and don't be surprised to see another feeding frenzy.

The 58-minute sellout shattered the previous record for fastest Sullivan sellout. The old mark was held by Aerosmith, according to Sullivan officials. The hard-rock band's 1998 concert sold out in two hours, 37 minutes.

About 60 people spent a night wrapped in sleeping bags and slumped in lawns chairs to improve their odds of paying $58.50 to $118.50 to see Elton. "It was cold. It was long. It was a lot of fun," said Kathy Jackman of Palmer, who arrived at 2:30 p.m. Sunday and left with six tickets shortly after 10 a.m. Monday. "People brought heaters, coffee, food, you name it."

A number of people, frustrated in their attempts to buy tickets through Ticketmaster, joined the line after 10 Monday. "My husband went online at 9:59 and he couldn't get through, so he sent me here," said Kim Kampen, who was hoping to buy tickets for her parents and her husband's parents.

Also see Elton John Tour News.

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